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Hoi An: Eco Cooking Class & Basket Boat with Pickup

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Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/21

Duration5h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Hoi An countryside flavors, bamboo boats and hands-on cooking

You’ll shop noisy local markets in Hoi An, paddle a round bamboo boat through Cam Thanh’s coconut groves with fishermen, then cook (and eat) classic Vietnamese dishes alongside chef Kien. Expect hands-on lessons—from making rice paper to mixing sauces—with hotel pickup and lunch included. You might end up laughing at your own pancake-flipping skills or just soaking in quiet village life.

Step-by-step itinerary

Pick up at hotel around 8 am
Visit local market with guide
Take round bamboo boat to cooking school
Join local fishermen in round boats
Catch purple crabs and take photos
Hands-on cooking session
Make rice paper and fresh spring rolls
Prepare banana flowers salad and rice pancakes
Cook beef noodles and aubergine tomato sauce
Enjoy the cooked meal
Return to hotel or requested place

The Experience

First thing I noticed was the smell—wet herbs and fish sauce mixing with morning air at the Hoi An market. Our guide, Kien, waved us over to a stall where women in conical hats were slicing banana flowers (I’d never seen them outside of photos). The place buzzed with sellers calling out prices, kids darting between baskets. I tried to ask for cilantro in Vietnamese—Li laughed and corrected my pronunciation, way off apparently. We picked up everything we’d need for the day’s cooking class before piling back into the van.

The drive out of town was quick—rice paddies flashing by—and then suddenly we were on these round bamboo basket boats, wobbling more than I expected. One of the fishermen handed me a paddle and grinned while we spun gently through Cam Thanh’s coconut forest. There were purple crabs clinging to roots, water slapping against the hull. It was quieter here, just birds and that soft creak of bamboo. I got splashed trying to steer; everyone laughed (me included).

Kien showed us how to make rice paper from scratch—sticky fingers, steam rising from the cloth as he lifted each sheet. We rolled fresh spring rolls (mine looked lumpy but tasted fine), mixed up sweet-sour fish sauce that made my nose tingle, and flipped crispy bánh xèo pancakes until they sizzled golden. Lunch was what we’d cooked: beef noodles fragrant with lemongrass, aubergine melting into tomato sauce, banana flower salad crunchy and strange in a good way. Sitting together at the table felt easy after all that chopping and frying side by side.

I still think about that moment in the coconut grove—sunlight flickering on green water—and how different it felt from busy Hoi An just an hour earlier. If you want a day trip from Hoi An that actually slows you down instead of rushing you around, this eco cooking class is it.

What’s included

Your day includes free car pickup and drop-off from any hotel in Hoi An city (extra charge if coming from Da Nang), all market ingredients, English-speaking guide (who’s also your chef), a basket boat ride through Cam Thanh’s coconut forest with local fishermen, hands-on cooking lessons for several Vietnamese dishes—even vegan options if you need them—and a full lunch of everything you’ve made before heading back early afternoon.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Hoi An Eco Cooking Class